The community center at Hope Springs Apartments in Springfield has been named in honor of Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard. Bluestem Housing Partners, a not-for-profit affordable housing developer in Downers Grove, dedicated the newly-constructed office space as the Glenn Poshard Community Resource Center.

The Center is attached to Hope Springs Apartments, a partnership between SIU School of Medicine and Bluestem. The two-story apartment complex, located at 1135 N. Ninth St. in Springfield, contains 36 units. It was created as permanent housing for people with disabilities, including some clients of SIU School of Medicine’s Community Support Network (CSN). The CSN program helps people with persistent psychiatric disabilities live independently.

Poshard was instrumental in securing funds for the building of the complex. “President Poshard's commitment to serve people with disabilities is steadfast,” said Audra Hamernik, executive director of Bluestem. “We dedicated this room to honor his service to all the people in the state of Illinois.”

Residents of Hope Springs are moving into their new apartments this month. The CSN offices have moved to the complex to provide on-site assistance to the residents at the Glenn Poshard Community Resource Center.

Established in 1970, the mission of SIU School of Medicine is to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community. Its website is www.siumed.edu and its main number is 217-545-8000.

The mission of SIU School of Medicine is to assist the citizens of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health-care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community.